'Manipulated' photo of UK's Princess Kate spiked

What happened?

Britain's royal family posted a Mother's Day photo of Catherine, Princess of Wales, and her children, the first official image of the former Kate Middleton since she was hospitalized for abdominal surgery in January. The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters and Getty news agencies retracted the photo with "kill" notices Sunday night.

Who said what?

A caption attributed to Kate thanked people for their "kind wishes and continued support" since January. "It appears that the source has manipulated the image" in violation of editorial standards, AP said.

The commentary

The photo was "meant to dampen" the "storm of rumors and conspiracy theories" whirling around Kate, who has not appeared in public since Christmas, The New York Times said. Instead, it is "damaging for the royals," said former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt. "People will now question whether they can be trusted and believed when they next issue a health update" on Kate.

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What next?

Kensington Palace has said Kate will not resume public duties until March 31, and it will provide only "significant updates" on her health.